Author Adam Blumer writes edge-of-your-seat suspense infused with Biblical principles. His new book, The Tenth Plague, will be released as an e-book on January 29. I’ll have more to say about it then, but meanwhile, if you’d like to have a chance to win a copy of The Tenth Plague or a physical copy of his first book, Fatal Illusions (linked to my review), go here or click on the graphic.
Adam discusses the book here, and you can read an excerpt of The Tenth Plague here.
I was talking with a friend about the upcoming Laura Ingalls Wilder Reading Challenge hosted here in February (more information is here), and she mentioned that she wanted to participate but would like to read something other than the Little House books. So I thought I’d share some of those titles for anyone else seeking that kind of information as well.
As far as I know, the only books that Laura wrote as books are the nine Little House ones, as well as her first book titled Pioneer Girl, (which is not the same thing as a biography of her by the same title) which she and her daughter, Rose, later reworked into the Little House series. But there are a few books of her writings compiled and published after her death. Those are:
Little House in the Ozarks: the Rediscovered Writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder, compiled and edited by Stephen Hines, a collection of newspaper columns and magazine articles she wrote before starting the Little House books, reviewed here. Saving Graces: the Inspirational Writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder, reviewed here, is a collection of inspirational or faith-based columns pulled from this book. The same editor’s three books beginning with Writings to Young Women from Laura Ingalls Wilder appears to be the same type of thing: some of the columns from the first book sorted into different categories.
On the Way Home, a diary of her move with her husband and daughter in a covered wagon from South Dakota to Missouri.
West From Home, letters Laura wrote to Almonzo while visiting their daughter in San Francisco, where she visited the World’s Fair.
A Little House Traveler contains the above two books plus the previously unpublished The Road Back, about the first trip she and Almonzo took back to De Smet, where Laura grew up and where they met.
A Little House Sampler, stories and writings of Laura as well as of Rose Wilder Lane, compiled by William T. Anderson.
There may be some other “compilation” type books, but these are the ones I know of. I have only read the one compiled by Stephen Hines so far.
Laura’s daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, wrote Let the Hurricane Roar (also known as Young Pioneers) about her grandparents’ “prairie life,” I believe before the Little House books were written or planned. Laura didn’t start writing until in her 60s, if I remember correctly. Another of Rose’s prairie-based books is Free Land: I am not sure if that one was specifically based on her family’s story or not. I have not read either of these but I have Let the Hurricane Roar on hand and hope to read it next month. These books are written for adults, while Laura’s were written for children. Rose wrote a number of other books: she was more well-known as a writer than her mother until the Little House books caught on: then Laura’s fame surpassed hers. There is disagreement in scholarly circles as to how much of the Little House books was actually written by Rose. Rose insisted they were all her mother’s work, but it seems likely that Rose would have shaped and edited them to some degree. Those who have read more of Roses’s writing seem to feel that her style is so different from that of the Little House books that they can’t believe she would have been the main writer behind them. That’s what I like to think, but I suppose we’ll never know for sure.
Some years ago Roger Lea MacBride published a series of books based on Rose’s childhood. When I first saw them, I didn’t realize they were about Rose and I was miffed that someone was seeming to horn in on the Little House fame by trying to write similar books. I didn’t realize until last year that MacBride was something of an unofficial adopted son of Rose’s and her sole heir. I didn’t realize until today that he was the co-creator and co-producer of the Little House on the Prairie TV series and that he had the rights to them. So he was much more closely related to the Little House world than I thought. I’d like to read these books some time but I don’t think I’ll get to them this year. I will forewarn you, though, that Rose is a very very different person than her mother in many ways. Of course, the times in which she grew up were quite different as well.
A more modern and kind of fun, though irreverent, book relating to Laura is The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure, Laura fan extraordinaire, reviewed here. Wendy set about to try to recapture something of “Laura world” by trying different Laura experiences (churning butter. etc.) and visiting the different sites where her family lived.
Then there are any number of biographies about Laura. So far I have only read I Remember Laura by Stephen W. Hines, reviewed here, a collection or articles and interviews of people who actually knew Laura.
Then there is Laura’s Album: A Remembrance Scrapbook of Laura Ingalls Wilder by William Anderson, a Little House Cookbook (which I bought but have not delved into yet), a Little House Crafts Book, The Little House Guidebook about the different sites and museums associated with Laura.
Those are the Laura-related books I am familiar with. Do you know of any others?
The folks at 5 Minutes For Books host What’s On Your Nightstand? the fourth Tuesday of each month in which we can share about the books we have been reading and/or plan to read.
These fourth Tuesdays that aren’t the last Tuesdays of the month always throw me off — I would have forgotten about this if I hadn’t seen Carrie’s Nightstand post up early. (Thanks, Carrie!)
Since last time I completed:
Journey Into Christmas by Beth Streeter Aldrich.
100 Pound Loser: How I Ate What I Wanted, Had Four Babies, & Still Took Control Of My Weight – And You Can Too! by Jessica Heights, e-book.
Courting Cate by Leslie Gould, an Amish take on The Taming of the Shrew. (These first three were discussed briefly here.)
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain, reviewed here.
A Light in the Window by Jan Karon, audiobook, second of the Mitford series, reviewed here.
A Common Life, audiobook, Father Tim and Cynthia’s wedding story, not reviewed.
I am currently reading:
Emily of New Moon for Carrie’s Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge..
The Tenth Plague by Adam Blumer (you’ll be hearing more about this next week!)
Next up:
Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture by Adam S. McHugh.
I may or may not read one of the next LMM Emily books for Carrie’s challenge, depending on when I get done with the current one.
I’m hosting the Laura Ingalls Wilder Reading Challenge in February, so I will be reading a couple of her books, and I invite you to join along! More information is here.
Last year I kept seeing Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain mentioned favorably all over the blogosphere, and being an introvert myself (I got 11 out of 12 questions as an introvert on the Quiet Quiz!) and highly intrigued, I put it on my Christmas wishlist.
The author traces the history from a Culture of Character, when disciple, honor, and quietly doing the right thing were valued, to the Culture of Personality, where being likeable and presenting oneself well emerged as the more valued qualities (fueled, among other things, by the transition from an agricultural society to an industrial one and the need for salespeople), to these days esteeming charisma and overt extroversion. She draws examples from the worlds of business, education, and politics to show that Western society really is set up for the Extroverted Ideal, and she cites numerous scientific studies to show that introverts aren’t just shy (not all introverts are), but that they have physical, neurological differences that affect how they process things, and they also have many valuable qualities..
I was amazed at the many ways in which the world is indeed set up for more extroverted personalities, from businesses which put workers together in the same room to brainstorm and feed off each other’s energy rather than giving them quiet offices in which to think, to classrooms set up for groups, where contributing to class discussions is highly prized (she cites one classroom sign of “‘Rules for Group Work,’ including, ‘You can’t ask a teacher for help unless everyone in your group has the same question'” [p. 77] Talk about snuffing out individuality!)
The author isn’t saying that introverts are better than extroverts, but that they have valued gifts and abilities that society can and should make provision for, and that it is okay to be an introvert. Part of a larger quote from Allen Shawn says, “A species in which everyone was General Patton would not succeed, any more than a race in which everyone was Vincent Van Gogh” (p. vii). Both personality types are needed.
But she acknowledges that it’s not good for introverts to sit in a corner all our lives and never extend ourselves, and she suggests ways to interact in an extroverted world, like a popular public speaker who skips the social venues while on a speaking engagement to walk quietly by a river or hide out in the bathroom to “recharge” between sessions.
Probably one of the most helpful sections for me was a study of “highly reactive” babies. When disturbed in some way, the highly reactive babies would flail their arms, kick, and cry, but the other babies seemed to take everything in stride. I thought at first that the highly reactive babies would be the extroverts, since they were more vocal and expressive, but they became introverts. They reacted “not because they were extroverts in the making, but because their little bodies reacted strongly — to new sights, sounds, and smells. The quiet infants were silent not because they were future introverts — just the opposite — but because they had nervous systems unmoved by ” such stimulation (p. 102). As they grew older this high reactivity manifested itself in more stressful reactions to new people and situations, while extroverted people were easy-going. Turns out something called the amygdala in the brain affects our reactions. This came to a crux for me after TM: in even normal, not too busy and loud public settings (like a restaurant), I’d feel as if I were on sensory overload. Looking back, I can see I have pretty much always been this way. I think it just came to the forefront then because my mind and emotions were tied up with recovering from illness. Sometimes I’ve been stressed over my ability to get too easily stressed and wondered why I couldn’t take things in stride as easily as other people. It’s nice to know there is a reason! That doesn’t mean, of course, I should just give way to that and not seek God’s help as well as practical ways to react more calmly, but it does help to know it’s part of my make-up that I need to learn to deal with and not a character flaw.
Cain also dispels some myths about introverts: they are not all shy, they are not all bookish, they are not all sensitive, they are not anti-social — of the last, she says “introverts and extroverts are differently social” (p. 226). “When extroverts show up at a party, everyone knows they are present,” (p. 227), while an introvert will be quietly talking with one or two other people. Both do need and value intimacy, but introverts will likely have a few very close friends and small get-togethers rather than a lot of friends and big parties.
A chapter on communication, especially in relationships, yielded this helpful quote: “It can be hard for extroverts to understand how badly introverts need to recharge at the end of a busy day. We all empathize with a sleep-deprived mate who comes home from work too tired to talk, but it’s harder to grasp that social over-stimulation can be just as exhausting. It’s also hard for introverts to understand just how hurtful their silence can be…whatever the reasons for these differences in social needs…what’s important is that it is impossible to work through them” (p. 228).
This chapter (“The Communication Gap”) as well as the next on dealing with introverted children in ways that help and encourage them were probably the most helpful and valuable to me. It broke my heart to read one one set of highly extroverted parents seeking “treatment” for their very introverted son because they thought something was wrong with him. Cain shares a lot of ideas for both teachers and parents about ways to recognize an introverted child’s gifts and abilities and to help them in areas where they fall short, like social skills.
This book is written from a secular point of view, so there is a small smattering of words like “hell” sprinkled throughout, and I wouldn’t agree with the evolutionary reasoning behind some of the studies quoted. Some of the religious references are a bit “off,” such as this one: “The Western God is assertive, vocal, and dominant; his son Jesus is kind and tender, but also a charismatic, crowd-pleasing man of influence (Jesus Christ Superstar)” (p. 189). At first I was astounded that she would quote Jesus Christ Superstar as a reference, but then I thought maybe she was just citing it as one example of popular perception (though a mistaken one, in my opinion. Jesus was kind and tender, yes, but I wouldn’t call him charismatic and crowd-pleasing. Crowds did follow him, but for different reasons. But that’s another subject for another day).
But despite those caveats, I found this a fascinating and very helpful book in many ways. I would recommend it to both introverts and extroverts!
(This will also be linked to Semicolon‘s Saturday Review of Books.)
A Light in the Window is the second book in the Mitford series by Jan Karon, and the second I have listened to narrated wonderfully by John McDonough.
In the last book, At Home in Mitford, Father Tim, a 60 year old Episcopalian priest, realizes he is attracted to his neighbor, Cynthia. Most of this book is his struggle to come to terms with what that means and how far he wants the relationship to go. He had thought he would be a lifelong bachelor, so he was surprised for love to come to him at this stage of life, plus he’s highly introverted, “set in his ways,” “buttoned-down,” fearful by nature, and not at all sure if he would even be capable of giving of himself in the way a marriage would require.
One section in his ponderings really stood out to me:
Was he willing to blend into the life of another human being for the rest of his days, and have hers blend into his? That, of course, was the Bible’s bottom line on marriage: one flesh. Not separate entities, not two autonomous beings merely coming together at dinnertime or brushing past one another in the hallway, holding on to their singleness, guarding against invasion. One flesh! (p. 207).
The phrase “guarding against invasion” particularly struck me. I still have that tendency sometimes and have to remind myself that love means being open to others.
Their relationship is strained when another town widow sets her sights for him, Cynthia has to go to New York to work on her newest book, and they have a series of misunderstandings. It’s further strained when Cynthia is ready for further commitment to their relationship and can’t understand his hesitancy. In all honesty, I felt she was a little pushy in some places, and I felt she just needed to give him time and let him lead in the relationship. But the underlying thought amongst his friends seems to be that without a little pushing, he’d never move forward.
Among several subplots is Father Tim’s cousin Meg from Ireland coming to visit, proving to be every bit as eccentric as some of Mitford’s other characters; Miss Sadie’s desire to provide for Dooley Barlow, the boy under Father Tim’s care, with better schooling out of town; the danger that his favorite (and the town’s only) restaurant will be shut down; and a very abrasive, rough around the edges construction supervisor in charge of the nursing home being built with Miss Sadie’s donated money.
My only real objection with this book in the series is a number of references to something or other being s*xy, even a “Better Than S*x Cake” (disguising the words not because I am a prude but to avoid certain kinds of searches ending up here and certain over-sensitive filters blocking this post). There is nothing explicit, and by comparison to other books it’s quite tame, but still, I didn’t think even this needed to be tossed in the mix.
As with the first book in the series, I don’t think this was written and marketed as “Christian fiction,” but there is Scriptural truth throughout. This was another enjoyable visit with Father Tim and the Mitford residents.
(This will also be linked to Semicolon‘s Saturday Review of Books.)
I finished a few books fairly close together so I thought I’d review them all at once.
Journey Into Christmas by Bess Streeter Aldrich was recommended on someone’s blog, but I forget whose. The book is a collection of short stories, all, of course, having something to do with Christmas, in different times and settings. Some are sweet, some are poignant, none are frothy. Probably my favorite was an excerpt from her novel A Lantern in Her Hand (which I think I’d like to read some time). In the short story from it, times have been extremely hard for folks on the frontier, with no good crops for several years in a row. Most aren’t in the mood to celebrate Christmas and have little with which to celebrate anyway. Abbie, a young wife and mother, starts out feeling the same way, despairing at first, but then decides to do what she can, even as others scoff. Her husband gets into the Christmas spirit as well, and soon they both have stayed up late or stolen moments to make little gifts for the children, and that Christmas goes down as one that remains most in their memories. Abbie’s efforts remind me of a quote I once saw from a pioneer woman that went something like, “I make my quilts well to keep my family warm; I make them beautiful to keep my heart from breaking.”
I did find, however, that it is hard for me to get into short stories. You’d think they’d be easy to pick up and put down, especially during a busy time like Christmas, but without the momentum of one chapter carrying over to the next, for me it was harder to stay with it. But overall it was a good book.
100 Pound Loser: How I Ate What I Wanted, Had Four Babies, & Still Took Control Of My Weight – And You Can Too! by Jessica Heights of Muthering Heights is an e-book available in a Kindle format or as a PDF file. I don’t remember how I became aware of this, but the title is certainly an attention grabber, especially for anyone who needs to lose weight.
What was there was good and inspirational: I just wish there was more of it. When anyone has successfully lost weight, the first thing everyone wonders is “How did you do it?!?!” The author shares some of the details, but not as much as I would have liked.
I won Courting Cate from its author, Leslie Gould, through a fun Fall Scavenger Hunt involving several Christian fiction authors. I had never read Leslie before, and though I don’t read a great deal of Amish fiction, this title intrigued me because it is based on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. That is one of his plays I have never seen or read, but I knew the basic gist of it. I was glad I didn’t know the plot details, though, because then much of the book was a surprise to me, and afterward it was fun to find out more about Shrew through Wikipedia and SparkNotes and compare.
Cate, in this story, is a sharp-tongued, short-tempered Amish young woman who works in her father’s shop, loves to read, is not handy in the kitchen, and has decided she will never marry. Her sister, Betsy, seems to attract potential suitors like flies, but not Cate: she seems to repel them. When Pete Treger comes to town, she’s strangely attracted to him, but as the sparks fly even with him, she knows they have no future. But then her father makes an edict that Betsy can’t marry until Cate does, and since Betsy wants to marry, she and her cohorts conspire to bring Pete and Cate together.
I was expecting this book to be lighthearted and comedic, and it is in some places, but I was surprised and touched at the poignancy of Cate’s feeling unloved and unlovable and her wrestling with God when she finds herself stuck in very hard circumstances. I ended up loving this book and looking forward to reading more from Leslie.
(This will also be linked to Semicolon‘s Saturday Review of Books.)
Every January Carrie‘s hosts a Lucy Maud Montgomery Reading Challenge.
Last year for the challenge I finished rereading all of the Anne books, so I’ve been looking forward to exploring new-to-me L. M. M. territory. I decided to go with the Emily books: Emily of New Moon, Emily’s Quest, and Emily’s Climb, partly because they were the next ones she published, partly because I think I have heard more about them than some of the others.
I am going to commit to reading at least the first one. I’d like to read all of them, but so far the library has on hold for me only the last two: if it can get the first one in in time for me to read all of them, I’d like to do that and complete the set this month. The Anne books went fairly quickly, so I am trusting these will, too.
If you’d like to fins out more about the challenge or see what others plan to read for it, you can check out Carrie’s post about it here.
This challenge dovetails with Carrie’s Reading to Know Book Club for the month of January, which focuses classics this year, and we are invited to read any L.M. Montgomery title of our choosing.
I had such a good time at last year’s Laura Ingall’s Wilder Reading Challenge that I wanted to do it again!
Laura was born February 7, 1867 and died February 10, 1957, so February seemed a fitting month to honor her. Many of us grew up reading the Little House books, and interest was renewed several years ago when the TV series was popular. I don’t know if there has ever been a time when there wasn’t interest in the Little House series since it first came out. They are enjoyable as children’s books, but they are enjoyable for adults as well. It’s fascinating to explore real pioneer roots and heartening to read of the family relationships and values.
For the reading challenge in February, you can read anything Laura has written or anything written about Laura. You can read alone or with your children or a friend. You can read just one book or several throughout the month — whatever works with your schedule. If you’d like to prepare some food or crafts somehow relating to Laura or her books, that would be really neat too.
On Feb 1 I’ll have a post up where you can sign in and let us know you’ll be participating and what you think you’d like to read that month. That way we can peek in on each other through the month and see how it’s going (that’s half the fun of a reading challenge). On Feb. 28, I’ll have another post where you can share with us links to your wrap-up post. Of course if you want to post through the month as you read, as well, that would be great, and I might share those from time to time. You don’t have to have a blog to participate: you can just leave your impressions in the comments if you like.
So, what do you think? Anyone interested? Make plans now to join us this February — I’m looking forward to seeing you then!
Feel free to grab the button for the challenge to use in your post:
<div align="center"><a href="https://barbarah.wordpress.com/2013/01/02/announcing-the-second-annual-laura-ingalls-wilder-reading-challenge/" title="Laura Ingalls Wilder Reading Challenge"><img src="https://barbaraleeharper.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/liw.jpg" alt="" width="144" height="184""" alt="Laura Ingalls Wilder Reading Challenge" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
I enjoyed compiling my list of books read this year and remembering some I had forgotten.
This has definitely been the year of the audiobook for me. I mentioned in my thoughts on audiobooks that generally I still prefer paper books, but audiobooks have greatly enriched my life this year. I generally listen to them while driving or getting dressed and ready for the day, sometimes while cooking, but there have been a few that I have carried around with me because I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
I’ve also read more ebooks this year than before. I enjoy getting free or very inexpensive ones but sometimes have to remind myself that they’re there in my Touchpad or iPhone.
Before I get to my top ten, here are the tops in some categories:
Most humorous: The Big 5-Oh! by Sandra Bricker, reviewed briefly here.
Most balanced and helpful: The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges.
Best suspense: Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson, reviewed here.
Most philosophical: C. S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy: reviewed here.
Coziest: Tie between At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon, reviewed here, and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, reviewed here.
Best narrated audiobook: Tie between Roots, narrated by Avery Brooks, reviewed here, various narrators for The Help, reviewed here, and The Hobbit narrated by Rob Inglis, here.
Would’ve made top ten if not for some concerns: The Help by Kathryn Stockett, reviewed here (language issues), and When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin, reviewed here (character issue).
It has been hard to come up with a top ten, but here are the standout reads for me this year, in no particular order. Some are new, some are older classics I’ve reread; some fiction, some nonfiction:
Infinitely More by Alex Krutov, true story about an abandoned orphan in Russia whom God brought to Himself, reviewed here.
Not By Chance: Learning to Trust a Sovereign God by Layton Talbert, reviewed here.
Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson, reviewed here. Suspense novel about a cold case in which new evidence suddenly comes to light.
Wildflowers of Terezin by Robert Elmer, reviewed here. WWII story set in Denmark, based on true events. A Lutheran pastor thinks the best way to survive the Nazi invasion is to lay low, until he is confronted by the reality of human suffering and must get involved.
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand, reviewed here.
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell, reviewed here.
Anne’s House of Dreams by L. M. Montgomery, reviewed here. Next to the very first book in the series, this is my favorite Anne book, covering her first few years of marriage.
At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon, reviewed here. First of the beloved Father Tim books.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, reviewed here.
Roots by Alex Haley, reviewed here.
What are your top ten books read in 2012?
(This list will also be linked to Semicolon‘s Saturday Review of Books, where she’s allowing us to post what we’ve read this year, and Booking Through Thursday .)
If I don’t count audiobooks, I read 60 books this year: if I add them, the total comes to 78. The 60 total is a little less than last year (due probably to playing games on my iPhone during times I would normally have been reading. :oops:), but I am pleased with the overall totals and the variety.
Here is what I have read this year:
Nonfiction:
Daily Light on the Daily Path, a devotional book of Scripture verses compiled by Samuel Bagster.
The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges: did not do an overall review but weekly chapter discussions are here.
Everyday Battles: Knowing God Through Our Daily Conflicts by Bob Schultz, reviewed here.
Feminine Appeal by Carlyn Mahaney, reviewed here.
Grace for the Good Girl: Letting Go of the Try-Hard Life by Emily P. Freeman, reviewed here.
His Ways, Your Walk, an as-yet unpublished book by my friend. Lou Ann Keiser. Coming soon!
I Remember Laura [Ingalls Wilder] by Stephen W. Hines, reviewed here.
Infinitely More by Alex Krutov, true story about an abandoned orphan in Russia whom God brought to Himself, reviewed here.
It Is Not Death to Die: A New Biography of Hudson Taylor by Jim Cromarty, reviewed here.
Laura’s Album: A Remembrance Scrapbook of Laura Ingalls Wilder by William Anderson, not reviewed.
Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room by Nancy Guthrie.
Little House in the Ozarks: the Rediscovered Writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder, compiled and edited by Stephen Hines, reviewed here.
Mentalpause…and Other Midlife Laughs by Laura Jensen Walker. Not reviewed.
Not By Chance: Learning to Trust a Sovereign God by Layton Talbert, reviewed here.
Practical Happiness: A Young Man’s Guide to a Contented Life by Bob Schultz, reviewed briefly here.
Raising Real Men: Surviving, Teaching, and Appreciating Boys by Hal and Melanie Young, reviewed here.
Saving Graces: the Inspirational Writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder edited by Stephen Hines, reviewed here.
Thriving at College: Make Great Friends, Keep Your Faith, and Get Ready for the Real World! by Alex Chediak, reviewed here.
Unless It Moves the Human Heart: The Craft and Art of Writing by Roger Rosenblatt, reviewed here.
When Christ Was Here: a Woman’s Bible Study by Claudia Barba, reviewed here.
When You Come Home: The True Love Story Of A Soldier’s Heroism, His Wife’s Sacrifice and the Resilience of America’s Greatest Generation by Nancy Pitts, not reviewed.
The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure, reviewed here.
Fiction:
Allerednic: A Regency Cinderella Tale–In Reverse by Chautona Havig, not reviewed.
Belonging by Robin Lee Hatcher, reviewed here.
The Big 5-Oh! by Sandra Bricker, reviewed briefly here.
The Bridesmaid by Beverly Lewis, reviewed here.
The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury, not reviewed.
Chasing Mona Lisa by Tricia Goyer and Mike Yorkey, reviewed here.
The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson, reviewed here.
Coming Home by Karen Kingsbury, reviewed here.
The Fiddler by Beverly Lewis, not reviewed.
Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson, reviewed here.
The Discovery by Dan Walsh,reviewed here.
Downfall by Terri Blackstock, brief review here.
In Every Heartbeat by Kim Vogel Sawyer, reviewed here.
Loving by Karen Kingsbury, not reviewed.
The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen, reviewed here.
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart, reviewed here.
Rare Earth by Davis Bunn, reviewed here.
Remembering Christmas by Dan Walsh, not reviewed.
Psmith in the City by P. D. Wodehouse, reviewed here.
Safely Home by Randy Alcorn, reviewed here.
Serenity by Harry Kraus, M. D., reviewed here.
Walking on Broken Glass by Christa Allan, reviewed briefly here.
When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin. reviewed here.
Wildflowers of Terezin by Robert Elmer, reviewed here.
With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin, reviewed here.
Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin, not reviewed.
Classics:
Anne of Ingleside, reviewed here.
Anne’s House of Dreams by L. M. Montgomery, reviewed here.
C. S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy: Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength, reviewed all together here.
Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns, reviewed here.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, reviewed here.
The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis, reviewed here.
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder, reviewed here.
Little House on the Prairie is by Laura Ingalls Wilder, reviewed here.
Rainbow Valley by L. M. Montgomery, reviewed here.
Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery, reviewed here.
The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis, reviewed here.
Audiobooks:
At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon, reviewed here.
Beyond the Shadows by Robin Lee Hatcher, reviewed here.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, reviewed here.
Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter, reviewed here.
A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter, reviewed here.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett, reviewed here.
The Hobbit, reviewed here.
Intervention by Terri Blackstock, briefly reviewed here.
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott, reviewed here.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, reviewed here.
Lost Melody by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith, reviewed here.
Never Again Good-bye by Terri Blackstock, not reviewed.
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, reviewed here.
Roots by Alex Haley, reviewed here.
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand, reviewed here.
Vicious Cycle by Terri Blackstock, reviewed here.
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell, reviewed here.
A Wrinkle in Time, reviewed here.
(This list will also be linked to Semicolon‘s Saturday Review of Books, where she’s allowing us to post what we’ve read this year.)
Stray Thoughts 